Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to energy-activation mechanisms for surgical instruments and, more particularly, to activation mechanisms for selectively initiating the supply of energy to tissue.
Background of Related Art
Various different types of surgical instruments utilize energy to treat tissue. For example, a bipolar electrosurgical forceps typically include two generally opposing electrodes charged to different electrical potentials for conducting energy therebetween and through tissue. Bipolar electrosurgical forceps utilize both mechanical clamping action and electrical energy to effect hemostasis by heating tissue and blood vessels to coagulate and/or cauterize tissue. Certain surgical procedures require more than simply cauterizing tissue and rely on the unique combination of clamping pressure, precise electrosurgical energy control and gap distance (i.e., distance between opposing jaw members when closed about tissue) to “seal” tissue.
Monopolar surgical instruments, as another example, include an active electrode, and are used in conjunction with a remote return electrode, e.g., a return pad, to apply energy to tissue. Monopolar instruments have the ability to rapidly move through tissue and dissect through narrow tissue planes.
In some surgical procedures, it may be beneficial to use both bipolar and monopolar instrumentation, e.g., procedures where it is necessary to dissect through one or more layers of tissue in order to reach underlying tissue(s) to be sealed. Further, it may be beneficial, particularly with respect to endoscopic surgical procedures, to provide a single instrument incorporating both bipolar and monopolar features, thereby obviating the need to alternatingly remove and insert the bipolar and monopolar instruments in favor of one another.
Regardless of the particular configuration, energy-activation mechanisms including activation buttons and electrical switches are typically provided on the housings or hand-pieces of the surgical instruments to enable a surgeon to selectively initiate the supply of energy to tissue. Typically, these mechanisms are physically sealed to prevent the ingress of fluids which may trigger an errant signal that inadvertently activates the supply of energy